Currently, sample processing apparatuses for processing a clinical sample such as blood and urine are used in medical facilities.
U.S. Patent Application Publication 2009-0325274 discloses a sample analyzer in which a rack which holds sample containers containing a normal sample is transported to sequentially take the sample containers into the apparatus and measure the samples therein, and a priority sample to be measured in priority to a normal sample is allowed to interrupt the measurement of the normal sample so as to be measured. In this apparatus, when a normal sample is measured, the sample container is taken into the apparatus to read a barcode adhered to the sample container by a barcode reader provided in the apparatus. In addition, in this apparatus, when a priority sample is measured, a user manually inputs the sample number and the measurement items of the priority sample from a priority sample measurement instruction screen.
The sample container containing a priority sample is not limited to those with no barcode adhered thereto, and may have a barcode adhered thereto. However, in the sample analyzer of U.S. Patent Application Publication 2009-0325274, when a priority sample is measured, the sample number thereof is required to be manually input. Even if the priority sample has a barcode adhered thereto, the barcode cannot be read by the barcode reader. Therefore, a technology is desired which allows identification data of the priority sample to be more smoothly input.